Siding Guide for Commercial Property Managers

Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Commercial Property Siding

As an HOA, apartment, or condo manager, you are responsible for ensuring your buildings are safe, well-maintained, and aesthetically pleasing. You must handle any issues or concerns as soon as they arise.

Siding plays a crucial role in your multi-family property, so you must recognize when it’s time to replace it! It is the outward “face” of the business, and a well-kept, attractive façade improves curb appeal, which attracts more tenants and patrons. Siding also protects a building from the elements. Because it’s exposed to the weather and other wear and tear, siding can deteriorate, compromising your property’s structural integrity.

Here are some signs that it’s time to replace your multi-family property’s siding:

1. Changes in your energy bill – A sudden increase in your property’s energy bills can mean that your siding is compromising your building’s energy efficiency.
2. Warping and buckling – Moisture damage causes bulges or raised boards.
3. Peeling, bubbling, or frequent painting – This may indicate water permeation.
4. Cracked or loose boards – An excessive number of damaged boards can allow water to infiltrate.
5. Mold or mildew – This is a clue that water is trapped underneath. Mold or mildew can be black, green, yellow, or rust-colored and flat, powdery, or fluffy.
6. Damage in the interior – Moisture penetration may cause leaks in exterior-facing, interior walls.

Termites, rodents, woodpeckers, carpenter bees, and powderpost beetles – oh my! All joking aside, these uninvited, unwanted pests can cause serious damage to your commercial property’s siding. Here’s how:

Termites

Termites can chew their way through all kinds of siding, not just wood. They are tiny creatures and can squeeze through a space as small as 1/32 of an inch. In severe cases, termites’ munching can eventually threaten the structural integrity of your multi-family property. If you have termites around your building, you may see mud tubes running up from the ground to the siding or hear a hollow sound when you tap on it with a metal tool.

Rodents

Rodents love chomping on all types of siding, often seeking a comfortable nesting spot. If they’re chewing on your siding, they will likely find a way inside. In addition to their potential to damage your building’s structural integrity, rodents can leave droppings that spread disease. Splintery pieces on the edge of your siding may indicate rodent damage.

Woodpeckers

If woodpeckers are targeting your building, you will hear a pounding noise or see drumming holes that look like small, shallow holes in a cluster, or wider cone-shaped depressions along the corners. If the holes are too large to repair, you’ll need new siding.

Carpenter Bees and Powderpost beetles

Powderpost beetle damage is small holes (about 1/32 to 1/16 inch diameter). There will also be very fine sawdust around your siding. Carpenter bee damage looks similar but may also be accompanied by a yellowish tint near the entrance of the holes.  Both can cause serious structural damage.

New siding is a major expense for any HOA, apartment, or condo manager. As a property manager, you want a high return on your investment! The more durable your siding is, the more cost-effective it becomes.

Here is a list of siding materials and how long you can expect them to last:

• Vinyl – 20 to 40 years
• Fiber cement – up to 50 years
• Brick – as long as 100 years
• Metal – up to 30 years
• Engineered wood – between 20 and 30 years

Questions You Should Ask a Commercial Siding Property Contractor

Before you begin selecting siding for your commercial property, you must find the right contractor. A siding contractor that understands the needs of your multi-family property is crucial to your project’s ultimate success! If you know what questions to ask, you can be more confident in choosing your commercial siding contractor.

1. Tell me about your company. – How long has it been in business and who owns it? Is it a large chain or a local family business?
2. What type of licensing, certifications, and insurance do you have, and are you bonded? – Licensed siding contractors have specialized training, bonding guarantees they will finish regardless of circumstances, and insurance will prevent you from being liable for worker injuries.
3. Are you familiar with insurance claims? – A company that handles insurance claims can advise whether a claim is warranted, work with the adjuster, and help with paperwork.
4. Do you use subcontractors? –  Subcontractors may not be well-trained or insured.
5. What is the project timeline? – Ensure you and your contractor are on the same page so they fulfill your expectations. They should add extra time to accommodate weather delays or other unforeseen events.
6. Please provide a record of how many projects you completed on time. – A consistent track record of project completion on or close to the deadline means you can expect the same.
7. Can you provide references? – Your prospective contractor should have a list of references who worked with them on similar projects that can tell you about their experience.
8. Tell me about your payment schedule. – When are the payments due and how much can you expect each to be? Is the bid an estimate or a fixed price?
9. Do you guarantee or provide warranties on your work? – A contractor confident in their craftsmanship will guarantee their work and provide warranties on the materials.
10. When can you start? – Ask the contractor how long they expect the preliminary work to take and when they can start the actual construction.